Float with floodable compartments for aquatic sport



July 4, 1967 1.. P. GIESELER 3,

FLOAT WITH FLOODABLE COMPARTMENTS FOR AQUATIC SPORT Filed D80. 4, 1964 Mal/4m IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent 3,329 425 FLOAT WITH FLOODAiBLE C(PMPARTMENTS FOR AQUATIC SPORT Luther Paul Gieseler, Fairfax County, Va. (2835 Brook Drive, Falls Church, Va. 22042) Filed Dec. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 415,933 1 Claim. (Cl. 272-1) This invention relates to a water float and more particularly to an aquatic sport device which exhibits a high degree of resistance to turning and tossing in the water in response to an external force.

Many types of floats are used for the exercise and amusement of bathers and swimmers. Some of these are designed to be climbed upon or mounted by the bather. The turning of such a float in the water in response to a small torque exerted by the 'bather normally makes it diflicult to climb upon.

Reference also is made to the sport of logrolling in Which a person tries to maintain his balance while standing on a log floating in the water. The may at the same time try to upset one or more competitors who are standing on the same log.

An object of this invention is to provide a float which includes novel elements and combinations thereof which hinder the turning motion caused by the bather, thereby reducing the eflort and skill required to mount the float. Still other objects and advantages will become more fully apparent as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein an outer cylindrical case 6 is shown floating in the water 5. A buoyant member 3 is located inside said cylindrical case, and separated from it by partitions 4, forming floodable chambers 7. The figure shows the water float rotating clockwise due to -a torque produced by the bather. The chamber on the left is emerging from the water, and the Weight of the water within the chamber produces an opposing torque, and therefore a frictional efiect.

A number of holes 8 connect the floodable chambers to the external water. The size of the holes must be proportioned relative to the volume of each chamber so that in normal use a chamber out of the water will lose an appreciable fraction of its supply of trapped water before it "ice enters the water again. Conversely, a chamber under the water should acquire an appreciable amount of Water before it emerges.

A modification of this design may be made by employing a hollow construction and locating the holes so they connect the chambers '7 to the interior instead of the exterior of the device. Another embodiment of the device may be obtained by making the buoyant member spherical instead of cylindrical in shape.

The buoyant member may also be divided into separate compartments which may be individually flooded by the user to achieve special effects. For example, if one end only of a cylindrical member is flooded, it will tend to assume an upright position in the water. If a longitudinal segment of the cylinder is flooded, the cylinder will be efiectively weighted on one side and will tend to float with the flooded side downward. Moreover, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that additional methods and combinations may be resorted to in obtaining special efects without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claim.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A water float comprising an outer case having at least one axis of rotation, an inner buoyant member disposed within said outer case and spaced therefrom, and a plurality of partitions which divide the space between said outer case and said inner buoyant member into chambers spaced from one another about said axis of rotation, each of at least two of said chambers having at least one hole extending through said outer case and into said chamber for sequential flooding and emptying of said chamber upon rotation of said float in water about said axis of rotation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,175,197 10/1939 Kent 272-1 2,838,022 6/ 1958 Wilson 272--69 3,035,286 5/1962 Brill 272-1 3,193,286 7/1965 Sitter 2721 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

A. W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner. 

